Vancouver RS-1 Zoning Is Now R1-1: What Changed and What You Can Build
Vancouver retired RS-1 and eight other RS zones on October 17, 2023. Here is what replaced them, and what an old RS-1 lot can hold today.
RS-1 no longer exists
If a listing, an old survey or a property record says a Vancouver lot is zoned RS-1, that label is out of date. Council approved a citywide change at a public hearing on September 14, 2023, and on October 17, 2023 all nine of the city's RS single-family zones were replaced by one new district: R1-1, Residential Inclusive.
The nine retired zones were RS-1, RS-1A, RS-1B, RS-2, RS-3, RS-3A, RS-5, RS-6 and RS-7. Every lot that carried one of those codes now carries R1-1. There is no separate transition zone and nothing an owner had to apply for. The rezoning happened to the whole map at once.
The old codes still show up in search results because a lot of the web was written before 2023: realtor pages, forum threads, and saved copies of the old district schedules. None of those rules apply to a permit application today.
What RS-1 allowed
RS-1 was a single-family zone. On a typical lot it allowed one detached house, which could include a secondary suite, plus a laneway house at the back. From 2018 a duplex was also permitted. That added up to a ceiling of about three homes on most lots, and the floor area rules were written around one house-shaped building.
The other RS zones were variations on the same idea, with differences in floor area, character-house incentives and design controls. The consolidation got rid of those differences along with the codes.
What R1-1 allows instead
R1-1 keeps everything RS-1 allowed: a house with a suite and a laneway house, or a duplex. The difference is that it also permits a multiplex outright, with no rezoning. Depending on lot size that means up to 4, 5 or 6 strata units, or 8 if every unit is secured rental.
So the practical effect of the rename is that an old RS-1 lot went from a ceiling of about three homes to as many as six or eight. Whether a specific lot gets there depends on its area and frontage, rear lane access, the floodplain, and whether it existed as a legal parcel before October 17, 2023.
The full rules, with the lot-size thresholds, floor space ratio, height and setbacks, are in our guide to what you can build on an R1-1 lot.
What can I build on R1-1? (guide) · R1-1 zone page
How this relates to Bill 44
R1-1 is often described as Vancouver's response to Bill 44, the provincial law that requires small-scale multi-unit housing on single-family lots. The order was the other way around. Vancouver's rezoning took effect on October 17, 2023, and Bill 44 received Royal Assent on November 30, 2023, with a municipal compliance deadline of June 30, 2024.
Because R1-1 already allowed multiplexes, the City treated it as compliant. In May 2024 it amended a handful of other zones to meet the provincial rules, including the RT-7 and RT-9 two-family zones and two CD-1 sites. The RT zones were not folded into R1-1 and remain separate districts.
How to check a specific address
Because every former RS lot is now R1-1, the zone itself is rarely the question. The question is which R1-1 threshold a lot meets. That depends on the exact frontage and area of the parcel, which are often a metre or two different from what a listing says.
ZoneScout reads the true parcel boundary from ParcelMap BC and runs it against the R1-1 schedule. Enter an address to see the unit count, floor area, height and setbacks that apply, with the bylaw section behind each figure.
Frequently asked questions
What is RS-1 zoning in Vancouver?
RS-1 was Vancouver's main single-family zone. It allowed a detached house with a secondary suite and a laneway house, and from 2018 a duplex. It was retired on October 17, 2023, when every RS-1 lot was rezoned to R1-1 Residential Inclusive.
Is RS-1 still a zone in Vancouver?
No. RS-1 and the other eight RS zones (RS-1A, RS-1B, RS-2, RS-3, RS-3A, RS-5, RS-6 and RS-7) no longer exist. Every lot that carried one of those codes is now zoned R1-1.
How many units can I build on a former RS-1 lot?
It is now R1-1, so the R1-1 rules apply: up to 4, 5 or 6 strata units depending on lot size, or 8 if every unit is secured rental. The lot also needs rear lane access, a site outside the floodplain, and a lot that existed before October 17, 2023. Our R1-1 guide lists the exact thresholds.
Does my existing RS-1 house have to change?
No. R1-1 still permits a single detached house, with a secondary suite and a laneway house. The rezoning added options; it did not require anyone to redevelop.
Were Vancouver's RT duplex zones changed to R1-1 too?
No. The RT two-family zones remain separate districts. Some of them, including RT-7 and RT-9, were amended in May 2024 to meet the provincial Bill 44 rules.